Guest View: Strong action on menhaden best for coastal economy and ecology

Monday

Dec 3, 2012 at 12:01 AM

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is poised to adopt long-overdue improvements to the management of Atlantic menhaden. These little fish provide food for ocean wildlife from striped bass and seabirds to weakfish and whales, forming a critical part of our environment and economy. Both are undermined by the 90 percent plunge in the Atlantic menhaden population over the past three decades.

Peter Baker

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is poised to adopt long-overdue improvements to the management of Atlantic menhaden. These little fish provide food for ocean wildlife from striped bass and seabirds to weakfish and whales, forming a critical part of our environment and economy. Both are undermined by the 90 percent plunge in the Atlantic menhaden population over the past three decades.

Unfortunately, a recent guest commentary in this paper ("Guest View: Menhaden fishery needs reasonable — not drastic — action," Nov. 7) presented an outdated picture of the science about this fish and a false choice between protecting menhaden and jobs. In fact, sound science supports bold action on menhaden to benefit both our coastal ecosystem and economy.

A recent study of "forage fish" such as menhaden found they are worth twice as much in the water — where they feed more commercially important species — as they are in the nets of an industry that grinds them up to feed farmed salmon and livestock. But even that estimate is low because it did not include recreational fishing. On the Atlantic coast alone, recreational fishermen added nearly $11 billion a year to the U.S. economy while supporting more than 90,000 jobs. The big fish that anglers and commercial fishermen want depend on this little fish.

The need for immediate, meaningful action on menhaden has become more evident as the ASMFC improves its assessment of menhaden. The commission is using the best scientific advice to update the way it determines whether there is overfishing (fish are being caught too fast) and whether the population is overfished (not enough breeding fish are left in the water).

Just last month the ASMFC received a letter signed by 94 leading scientists, including more than a dozen from respected Massachusetts organizations such as the New England Aquarium, Boston University and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. As these scientists put it, the improved data show that "the stock is subject to overfishing based upon the new mortality threshold [of 15 percent of Maximum Spawning Potential (MSP)]." The scientists continued, "When stock biomass is evaluated relative to the corresponding biomass threshold (15 percent MSP) the stock is also overfished."

Now, for those of us who are not scientists, here's what that means: The ASMFC's technical committee had called for an update to what's called the "biomass reference point" for menhaden. When this new measure is applied it shows that the ability of menhaden to reproduce is now too low. The stock is thus overfished according to the most recent science.

As is true with nearly all science, the population assessments include some degree of uncertainty. But that is no reason to back away from strong protective action. In fact, most modern fisheries management systems respond to the gray areas in data by setting stricter catch limits. Uncertainty is a bit like a foggy stretch of road. You don't drive faster; you slow down to reduce risk. Slowing down the catch is the best way to reduce the risks to menhaden, the animals that feed on them and the fishermen. Whether they catch "bunker" for bait or menhaden predators such as tuna and striped bass, fishermen will benefit from strong protection of the resource.

Wise management does not pit conservation against commerce; rather, it recognizes that a vibrant coastal economy needs a healthy ocean ecosystem. Last year, more than 90,000 people took this common-sense approach and urged the ASMFC to protect menhaden. It is now time to meet the commission's stated goal of ending overfishing and managing menhaden "as a critical ecosystem component." That is why Pew and other stakeholders in the science, conservation and fishing communities are urging the commission to take the strongest possible action to keep more of these little fish in the water, where they have the biggest benefits for us all.